An X-ray tube (hereinafter referred to as tube) of a medical imaging apparatus such as a computed tomography (CT) apparatus is an important high-value component. However, a serial number (SN) of a tube, as a unique identifier of the tube, is usually attached to a shell of the tube in a form of a self-adhesive label. The identifier of the tube may only be read manually, which is very inconvenient. For this reason, the SN of the tube may also be written into a programmable chip which may be fixed to the shell of the tube by screws. In this way, systems inside and outside a factory including the CT apparatus itself may read the identifier of the tube electronically.
However, there is a problem that the identifier may be replaced, whether the identifier is attached on the shell of the tube in the form of a self-adhesive label or the programmable chip is fixed to the shell of the tube by screws. As a result, one unique identifier may not correspond to a single tube, which makes it difficult to manage and trace tubes, and hence may lead to business disputes and may even cause losses to the CT manufacturers. For example, during a warranty period, a third party may replace the tube and attach the label of the original tube to a tube of a third party. This causes that the CT manufacturer is unable to determine the source of the tube only by the label, and hence is still responsible for the warranty of the replaced tube.
In addition to an X-ray tube, there may be similar problems with other parts of a medical imaging apparatus.
NEUSOFT MEDICAL SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (NMS), founded in 1998 with its world headquarters in China, is a leading supplier of medical equipment, medical IT solutions, and healthcare services. NMS supplies medical equipment with a wide portfolio, including CT, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), digital X-ray machine, ultrasound, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Linear Accelerator (LINAC), and biochemistry analyser. Currently, NMS' products are exported to over 60 countries and regions around the globe, serving more than 5,000 renowned customers. NMS's latest successful developments, such as 128 Multi-Slice CT Scanner System, Superconducting MRI, LINAC, and PET products, have led China to become a global high-end medical equipment producer. As an integrated supplier with extensive experience in large medical equipment, NMS has been committed to the study of avoiding secondary potential harm caused by excessive X-ray irradiation to the subject during the CT scanning process.